Veteran John “Bodie” Smith got his first professional national event win in a AA/FC over a stellar eight-car field at Pennsylvania’s historic Maple Grove Raceway Saturday night, August 3, 2013. (Richard Muir photo)
DRO Nostalgia Nitro Challenge will compete at Maple Grove’s Super Chevy Show on July 18-19
Fans at this year’s Super Chevy Show on July 18-19 will be treated to a type of racing that they’ve never seen at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pa., in the track’s 50+ years of operation.
For the first time, fans of nitro racing will be able to watch Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars (AA/FC), Top Fuel Dragsters (AA/FD), and Fuel Altereds (AA/FA) qualify for a single eight-car field and then race heads-up to determine a single winner. These nitromethane-burning cars are all capable of running down the quarter mile in 5.50 seconds at speeds approaching 265 mph.
The Hedman Husler Hedders DragRacingOnline.com Nostalgia Nitro Challenge presented by Comp Cams series is unique in all of drag racing because it features three classes of nitro cars racing heads-up against each other to determine a single winner. This is the first time all these vehicles will race together at the track.
The series, which used to be only for the Funny Cars, last raced at Maple Grove in 2013 with John “Bodie” Smith as the winner.
Among the racers confirmed for this event are the Funny Cars of John “Bodie” Smith in the blue “Jungle Jim”; Mike Lewis in the red “Jungle Jim”; Paul Romine in the “Man O’ War “ Mustang; Steve Nichols’ Camaro; defending champion Shawn Bowen in the “Violator” Dodge Challenger; Troy Ray in the “Wildside” Mopar; Richard Hartman in the “Runnin’ Wild VI” Camaro; and Pennsylvania racer Peter Gallen in the “Poverty Stricken” Monza.
In the first series event of the year at Beacon Dragway in Paducah, Ky., Ray used an AA/FA body for the “Wildside” but will switch to the Funny Car body for the Maple Grove competition. Jimmy Young in Stephen McClain’s AA/FD is the only dragster confirmed so far.
Marc White drove Frank Ousley’s “Crop Duster” AA/FA to the win at Paducah, but will not race at Maple Grove, leaving the rest of the field able to make a large move in the championship point standings.
This is the only event on the DRO series schedule that runs on Saturday and Sunday.
VP Racing Fuels is the Official Fuel of the Hedman Husler Hedders DragRacingOnline.com Nostalgia Nitro Challenge and has pre-ordered nitro and alcohol delivered to the tracks before the start of competition.
Greg Ozubko’s VA Ink is the Official Apparel Supplier for the series this year. Contingency sponsors include Baumgartner Race Cars, Comp Cams, MSD, Mert Littlefield Blowers, Ohio Crankshaft, Rage Fuel Systems Inc., S&W Race Cars, SSI Superchargers, Trailer Toad, Victory Performance Parts, and VP Racing Fuels.
